Process of generating water-gas.



' I-i. STRACHE.

PROCESS OF GENERATING WATER GAS.

(No Modal'.)

' ATTORNEYS *Patanted Dec. '2,' I902.

U 1 F TM S Parent Genres.

. nneo sTn oi-in'or visit-NA, AUSTRIA-HUNGARY.

PROCESS OF GENiZRATlNG WATER=GAS.

SPEGIFIGAT ION forming part of Letters PatentNo. 715,213, dated December 2, 1902.

Original application filed OctoherSI', 1900, Serial No. 35,008. Divided and this application filed October 22, 1901. Serial v No. 79,547. (No specimens.)

To all whom, it may conecin;

Be it known that I, HUGO STRAOHE, chemist and manager, a subject of the Emperor of Austria- Hungary, residing at VIII Alserstrasse 49, Vienna, Austria-Hungary, have invented a certain new andv useful Process of Generating W'ater-Ga's from Any Suitable Fuel; and I do hereby declare the following to bee, full, clear, and'exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in theart to which itappertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to letters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

My invention relates to the generating of water-gas; and its object is to provide an improved procss whereby any suitable fuel, even such in-a gran ular'state, may be utilized for generating water-gas: Whilein the mat n factnre of water-gas from incandescent car bon and steam as heretofore generally practieed shaft-furnaces had to he used, in which the fuel was contained at a height of from three to ten feet, so that a blower or blast apparatus was required in heating the same, I employ, acccording to my im proved process, a step-grate furnace, the fuel here being used in layers of from fourto twenty inches thickness only, and the combustion of the same for heating the furnace taking place under the action of thenaturaldraftof the chimney.

My invention therefore consists in the process or method as hereinafter more fully described. 3

An open or reticulated body of fire-clay (or tubes of fire-clay) situated opposite the surface of the step-grate is heated to incandes cen'ce by the gases of combustion, and the greater portion of the heat generated is thus,

' storedaway,as-byaregenerator. Theremainging portionof the heat of the gases of com-t hustion is utilized for heating an evaporator, the gasesof combustion finally passing into the chimney; The regulation of the fire is, edeeted .by partially opening doors" below' and above the grate, respectively; As soon as'the fuel has become thoroughly heated to a. state of incandescence and the evaporator raised to a temperature of above 100 centially closed.

.mit steam. for the evaporation of the water serves for the superheati'ngof the steam, Thethorough decomposition of the steam in spite of the thin grade a thin layer of fresh fuel is filled in the apparatus, whereupon the latter is hermetic- The newly-added fuel is immediately caused to generate'gas, partly under the action of the incandescent layerof fuel below and partly by the radiation of heat from the incandescent body of fire-clay. I at the same time admit water into the evaporator, which evaporatesin the Eat-tor, the steam thus generated passing the regener'ator and ultimately striking the fresh fuel in a strongly-superheated condition, so as to assist in-the charring or coking ofthe same.

The products of distillation mixed with the steam then pass through the incandescent fuel on the step-grate already charred or coked previously and are here decomposed, togather with the surplus quantity of steam, thus becoming transformed into water-gas. The latter escapes by way of a water'seal or siphon into the conduit whichoommunicates with the reservoir. Instead of admitting wa tor into the evaporatorl may also therein adln this case the space provided layer of fuel and the comparatively low em.- perature is obtained by making the area of the grate-surface very large and the quantity of water admittedduring a unit of time very small, so that the speed of the steam'at the grate will be small. YUpon completion of the generation of gas-that is to say, upon the supply efiwater having been shut oiit'-the apparatus is opened again, whereup'onthe heating of the same will begin anew.

In order to increase the Water-gasoutpnt,

a blast of air may be admitted to the apparatus at the conduit,'-by which the water-gas escapes during the periijjd of heating. In this case 1. preferably make use of a reversing mechanism in order to avoid explosions in changing from heating to gas generating,

The-preferred form of the apparatus whereby my process is carried in'toleifect is that shown in the accompanying drawings, where- 1n--- I v v Figurel is alongitudinal transverse sec-' tional View of the apparatus; and Fig. 2 is an end View, a portion of the apparatus being broken away to show the interior thereof.

D is the furnace, having the usual fuelsupply door T in the top thereof and draftcontrolling door D and D in-one wall thereof. Opposite the last-named wall is arranged an inclined grate l consisting of a series of plates forxning grate-oars f, which are arranged in step-like disposition. On this grate the fuel is adapted to be placed, being supplied through the door T, which is disposed at the upper end of said grate. On the fuel side of the grate and substantially in the same plane therewith is arranged a reticulated body R, which may be formed of tubes of fire-clay open at both ends and lying horizontally with one end adjacent the grate. Beyond this body of fire-clay is arranged an evaporator V, consisting of pieces of cast-iron, preferably of tubular shape, and still beyond that, but outside of thevfurna'ee proper, is a liquid-seal valve A, which is adapted to be opened between the gas-producing stages of the operation and closed during these stages.

w w are valved pipes by .which the water or, if desired,'steam is adapted to be introduced into the furnace.

The small opening g under the grate is the opening through which the water-gas is permitted to pass to the reservoir therefor.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

The method generating water-gas which consists in-first disposing the fuelin a layer having relatively great breadth and little thickness, secondly, igniting said fuel and using a portion of the heat generated thereby to heat a heat-storer, third, depositing a fresh supply of fuel in a thin layer on the first layer of fuel as a support for said fresh layer of fuel and eifecting the distillation of said fresh layer of fuel by the heat from said first layer of fuel and from the heatestorer and simultaneously bringing together a body of water and another portion of the heat from said ignited fuel so as to evaporate the water, fourth, conducting the vapor generated into operative contiguit-y to the heat-storer so as to super-heat the vapor, and, fifth and finally,

conducting" the thns-superheated vapor through the layers of fuel, substantially as described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto set my hand this 9th day of October, 1901.

HUGO STRACHE.

Witnesses: v

ALVESTO S. HoeUE, AUeUs'r FUGGER. 

